Hi-Def DVD 10% Discount Cover-up? (1 Viewer)

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Like many of you, I accepted the Amazon.com High-Definition DVD 10% Discount offer back on June 27, 2006.

Amanzon's 6/27/06 e-mail confirmation had in the subject line:
"From Amazon.com: You're going to save an additional 10% on your high-definition DVD purchases for a year."

And the email read:



"Because you have purchased a qualifying high-definition video item from Amazon.com you will automatically receive an additional 10% off all of your high-definition DVD purchases from Amazon.com for one year.
Simply purchase the HD DVD or Blu-ray disc of your choice. The 10% discount will be applied automatically at checkout.

This discount applies to all high-definition DVD purchases made for the next year, up to a $500 total discount value. See complete details."



Notice that the two links in my e-mail (HD DVD or Blu-ray) go directly to the complete listings of all of Amazon's high-definition DVD's now and those to be released in the future.

Until this week, I was able to purchase all my Hi-Def discs at the 10% off and was automatcally given the discount at the checkout.

If you now select the link (See complete details), you are taken to a page titled: Save an Additional 10% on Your High-Definition DVDs for a Year.
Scroll down to Terms and Conditions and you will find a sentence:

"This offer is good only on high-definition DVDs, defined as HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs." These two links now take you to the "HD DVD Store" and "Blu-ray Store" with only a select few Hi Def discs.

Is Amazon now trying to say that only certain Hi Def discs are "Qualified" for the discount? Did they expect the tidal wave of people taking them up on the original offer and are now trying to think of a way to save themselves from a big marketing error?

Who knows?:rolleyes

All I know is that on 10/12/06, I ordered Superman II - Donner Cut and automatically received the 10% discount and have a copy of the order receipt. Today I ordered it again, with NO DISCOUNT given.:rolleyes

When I called Amazon today about all these problems I and many other people are now having with the discount, their operator told me that "marketing" will call me back in a couple of days.

Paul

Edit: Spelling: those.

 

[Sean Bryan]

The amazon listing of the Superman II The Donner Cut HD DVD does have the info about the 10% discount as part of the listing, so I'd be surprised if it is isn't eligible for this anymore.

If it didn't apply it's probably because amazon is glitchy with these things, and it will likely be corrected when you speak to someone.

 

[Cees Alons]

Yes, it looks like several titles do not "qualify" as HD DVD (although they are). On some, the "HD DVD" tag is no longer present in the title when you order, so I first figured that it was a database mistake.
IMHO they cannot come back on their original promise, which has every characteristic of a mutual agreement (they offer certain conditions - I accept and buy the first batch).


Cees

 

[Tim Glover]

I didn't think that TV shows would be able to recieve the discount but they do. I pre-ordered Smallville-Season 5 HD-DVD and got the 10% off.

 

[Bob_L]

What you're probably missing here is that Amazon very likely has relatively unskilled individuals with rudimentary typing skills performing data input. They have no knowledge of the product and don't know whether something is HD or not. If they fail to check a box, oops, no 10 percent discount.

It's just symptomatic of the shoddy way business is run these days for the benefit of the business and to the detriment of the customer. It's a pain but you probably can get the discount on those HD discs by emailing customer service and pointing out the problem.

 

[Cees Alons]

It's a pain indeed, but if more people do it, perhaps it will be solved. Even after you ordered, you can contact them and point out that you didn't get the promised discount on an eligible disc.

I heard they will correct it (possibly by giving you a certificate for the amount - you can decide if you want that or not, but I think it might prove to be much more trouble to have it returned on your bank-account).


Cees

 

[MarekM]

yes I've got amount directly to my account with next order for 2 items which did not have 10% discount...

I just wrote them through email on amazon web...

Marek

 

[Cees Alons]

Perhaps they already ARE correcting it.

A title I tried to order yesterday (Deer Hunter HD DVD) didn't show the -10% on the last page (just before you make the order complete), so I abandoned the operation.

Today, when I tried again (triggered by the standard -10% 'note' on the title's own page), it worked!


Cees

 

[Roger Mathus]

It appears that when Amazon newly posts a title that the flag is often not set to trigger the discount. This has been a problem for a couple of months now. When one calls Amazon customer service and reached the call center in the US, they make an immediate correction. On one recent order I did not call, but the 10% was applied when the product shipped even when it did not show before on order summary. This is a pain to need to watch so closely what happens. It appears that Amazon does not understand or practice "DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.".

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Found another thread on this subject over at AVS:

Amazon using the fine print to break promises? Check out the e-mail response I got.

Paul


Edit: Post #18 from the above AVS link:

 

[Cees Alons]

Which thread basically amounts to .... nothing.


Cees

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Agreed!
Things are handled much more professionally over here.

Just ordered X-Men 3 - The Last Stand [Blu-ray] from Amazon and no 10% discount automatically applied at checkout.:frowning:

So I called Amazon, told them I want the discount, and approximately 5 -10 minutes later, the operator "Kim" came back on an said she gave me the 10% off of the price. Kim told me to add a code in the promotion box from now on and that should give me the discount when its a qualified purchase.
When I checked my on-line order, the price of the disc was reduced 10% itself - (not showing the actual 10% reduction from the original price) - so I will keep checking to make sure it's not changed again as others had warned thats what happened to them.:rolleyes

Paul

 

[Roger Mathus]

I had two cases where they corrected by changing the price of the disc. A few days later I got E-mail of regrets that the price was in error and changed back to the price without 10% discount. They offered a $ 5 coupon for the incovenience. Apparently some sore of audit caught the non standard price. They are really screwed up.

I tried the promotion code route and it did not work.

When customer service is willing to manually give the credit in the promotion line, it seems to work. I think that only the US call center can do it this way. Mid day, the connection is generally with the US call center rather than the one in India (?).

 

[Cees Alons]

Roger,

Good to know!

So, we shouldn't agree with a "correction" of the price, but just the normal "10% off"-line, applied separately.


Cees

 

[TonyD]

i think the thread title is completely unnecessary
makes it sounds like a conspiracy or a deliberate attempt to be deceptive.

seems apparent that this is just a glitch that amazon hasnt been able to fix.

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

The thread title is asking a question, not a statement of fact. It still remains to be seen where Amazon is taking its policy in marketing.

Forums like HTF are the right places to state the facts publicly about original offers and acceptances by interested consumers that are made available for support expertise.

Let's see where Amazon takes this (glitch?).

Paul

 

[TonyD]

understood.
but
same as in a trial when the lawyer objects and it is sustained.
the jury is told to disregard the laST statement, but they still heard it.

i get the point you're trying to make and i would love for amazon to do something about this glitch.

i would like to order the forbidden planet set with the discount.
i guess i just dont like the threads that make things appear to be conspiracy
or induce panic like the two current "are these hd dvds oop" topics.

 

[TonyD]

hmm, i just went in to look at my preorder that included the FP box.

i went to the listing for the FP box and see that the 10% offer is now there.

of the 3 hd dvds in the order the only one not including the 10% was FP box.
so i cancelled that from the order and ordered it seperately and now have this...

Items: $41.90
Shipping & Handling: $2.98
Super Saver Discount: -$2.98
BN Promotion Applied: -$4.19

Total Before Tax: $37.71

are there any more that didnt have the 10% offer on it

 

[Cees Alons]

It looks like they have been repairing their database and web structure.
The HD DVD Store as well as the Blu-ray Store now carry all releases + pre-releases and several announced/expected releases (17 "pages" of HD DVD discs and 14 "pages" of Blu-ray discs - both at 15 titles/page).
The failure to include the -10% line seems over to me.

Only the earlier Paramount titles on HD DVD (I always use "Aeon Flux" and "Four Brothers" as a test) are still "not released by the studio", while they most certainly are!


Cees

 

[dpippel]

Amazon's HD-DVD and Blu-ray listings have been messed up for *months*. One has to wonder why it's taking them so long to correct things.